Apple And Prune Tart Food

TOURTIERE (APPLE, PRUNE AND ARMAGNAC TART)

Steps:

• To prepare the tourtiere you will need a large, round, shallow baking pan; a 16-inch paella pan is perfect.
• Peel the apples, quarter them and slice very thin. In a mediumsize saucepan combine the apples, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water and cook over medium-high heat until quite dry, or for about 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, combine the prunes and Armagnac and allow them to marinate while the apples cook.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Dampen a large cloth towel and drape it over the phyllo dough to prevent it from drying out.
• Drain the prunes and combine them with the cooked apples. Reserve the Armagnac or rum.
• Using a pastry brush, lightly oil the bottom and sides of the baking pan.
• Place the tourtiere in the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, then reduce the oven temperature to 300 and cook an additional hour. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve either hot, at room temperature or gently reheated, cutting into pie-shaped wedges.
• Spoon the apple-and-prune mixture in a single layer on top of the fourth sheet of dough, covering the bottom and sides of the pastry. Be sure to keep the unused phyllo dough covered as you continue to work.
• Continue with the rest of the phyllo dough, layering sheet by sheet, covering each sheet with a sprinkling of sugar and a sprinkling of Armagnac, until you have used all the sugar, Armagnac and dough. Use about 10 sheets, or layers, in all.
• Trim off any overlapping pastry from the edges so they are even and sprinkle the trimmings on top of the last layer of pastry.
• Center one sheet of phyllo dough in the baking pan and sprinkle generously with sugar and Armagnac. Do this three more times until you have four sheets of phyllo.

PRUNE, APPLE AND CALVADOS TART

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 190C / 375°F.
• Process 125g diced chilled butter, 25g caster sugar and the grated orange rind in a food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs. Turn into a bowl.
• Mix 30ml water and the egg yolk, blend into the mixtureand knead lightly to form a ball; wrap and chill for about 30 minutes.
• Roughly chop the prunes, grate the apple and pour over the Calvados.
• Melt the remaining butter and mix with the ground almonds, beaten eggs and remaining caster sugar.
• Roll the pastry thinly and line 23 cm (9inch) round 4cm (11/4inch) deep, loose based, fluted flan tin. Bake blind until set.
• Add the prunes and apple to the almond mixture and spoon into the flan case. Sprinkle with slivered almonds and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Leave to cool for about 20 minutes.
• Melt the jam with 15ml (1tbsp) orange juice, when bubbling, sieve, then brush over the top of the tart.
• Serve warm or cold with Greek yogurt or creme fraiche.

PRUNE AND APPLE CROUSTADE

Steps:

• Soak the prunes in Armagnac overnight (or perhaps use preserved prunes in Armagnac from a gourmet shop, which have even more flavor because they'll have macerated longer). Drain, pit and roughly chop, reserving the liquid.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a saute pan and add the apples until soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle over 2 to 3 tablespoons of the sugar and continue cooking to caramelize, about 10 minutes more. Pour on about a tablespoon of the reserved Armagnac, flambe, and boil until the flames die out and the liquid has disappeared. Remove from the heat and taste. Depending on your apples, the mixture may need more acidity. If it does, add a squirt of lemon to taste. Stir through the chopped prunes.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C. Set the ring part of an 8-inch/20 cm springform pan on a baking sheet.
• Prepare the pastry: Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan or microwave. Working with one phyllo sheet at a time, prepare as follows: lay one sheet of phyllo on a clean surface and cut into three strips crosswise (not lengthwise). Brush one of the three strips with melted butter, sprinkle with a little sugar and a few drops of Armagnac. Lay another strip on top and repeat. Lay the final strip on top and brush with butter. Your single sheet of phyllo is now a three-layer-thick strip. Lay it in the center of the ring mold so that it runs from the middle out, and up and over the edge of the ring, like the spoke of a wheel. Continue with the remaining strips, laying them in around the ring slightly overlapping so that there are no openings.
• Spoon the prune and apple filling into the bottom of the mold. Fold the pastry strips up in over top, twisting somewhat as you go so that the top is a rustic landscape of papery peaks and valleys totally covering the top of the tart. Brush quite generously with butter and scatter over a scant handful of sugar. (You may have some butter and sugar left over once you're done. If you do, use them for something else. The same goes for the Armagnac, of which you will have a lot left: use it in fruit salad or let a piece of pound cake drink it up...or serve it in tiny glasses with dessert.)
• Remove the springform ring, leaving the formed croustade on the baking sheet. Bake until the pastry is fully cooked and golden, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, slide onto rack and cool. Serve with ice cream on the side or all on its own.

APPLE AND PRUNE TART

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Pulse together flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle in 4 tablespoons ice water and pulse until pastry starts to hold together, adding remaining tablespoon ice water if needed. Turn dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times. Form dough into a disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, 30 minutes.
• Make filling:
• Simmer water, Calvados, and prunes, uncovered, until most of liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Stir together cinnamon, cloves, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1/2 cup sugar.
• Peel and core apples and cut into 1/2-inch wedges. Halve wedges crosswise and toss with cinnamon mixture. Add lemon juice and toss to coat.
• Finely grind walnuts with remaining 3 tablespoons flour and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor.
• Assemble and bake tart:
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 14- by 18-inch oval. Roll dough loosely onto floured rolling pin and unroll onto a large buttered baking sheet. Spinkle walnut mixture over pastry, leaving a 2 1/2- to 3-inch border.
• Stir stewed prunes into apple mixture and spoon over walnut mixture, evenly tucking prunes between apple pieces. Turn edge of dough over fruit to form pleats. Brush top of dough with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake tart, loosely covered with foil, in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crust and fruit are golden and juices are bubbling, about 30 minutes more. Cool tart on baking sheet on a rack at least 20 minutes before serving.

TARTE AUX PRUNEAUX (PRUNE TART --GASCOGNY)

Steps:

• To make the crust.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
• Cut in the butter, mixing with your finger tips or a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add the water, drops at a time, until dough forms--add no more water than absolutely necessary.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a disc to fit at ten or ten and a half inch tart mold.
• Lay the dough over the mold and gently press it into place on the bottom and sides.
• Remove any excess dough and refrigerate the tart mold for at least one hour.
• To make the Filling:.
• Place the prunes in a bowl and cover with hot water; add the lemon juice and allow prunes to stand for about half an hour or until plumped.
• Drain and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy -- do not under-beat.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating continuously.
• Fold in the flour and the ground almonds and mix gently but well.
• Pour this mixture into the prepared tart mold, smooth the top with a spatula, and arrange the prunes on top.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the surface turns golden brown.
• Remove from over and pour the Armagnac over the tart.
• Cool for a few minutes, then brush the top with the warm apricot preserves to glaze.
• Serve at room temperature.
• Note: If the edges of your tart brown too quickly place a ring of foil over the crust.

APPLE-CRANBERRY TART

Steps:

• Place cranberries in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water. Let soak until plump, about 15 minutes. Drain.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet lightly with cooking spray.
• Cut a deep vertical slice into both sides of each apple, being sure not to cut through to the core. Attach 1 apple to a spiralizer fitted with the straight-flat blade and cut into thin half-slices. Repeat with second apple.
• Combine cranberries, apple slices, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a bowl; toss to coat.
• Mix white sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl. Stir into the apple mixture.
• Roll pie crust out into a 10-inch round on a floured work surface. Transfer to the baking sheet.
• Spoon apple mixture into the center of the crust, leaving a 2-inch border. Lift up edges of crust and fold around apple mixture. Brush edges with egg white. Sprinkle turbinado sugar all over tart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until apples are tender and crust is golden brown, 38 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and slice.

GOLDEN CREAM AND APPLE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with a fork. Add the cream and three tablespoons of the sugar. Mix until well blended and set aside.
• Peel and core the apples. Cut them in half. Cut each half into quarters. Starting just inside the edge of the pastry shell, neatly layer the apple slices - slightly overlapping them - in two or three concentric circles, working toward the center. Pour the cream mixture over the apples. Sprinkle with the remaining two tablespoons of sugar.
• Bake until the cream filling is set and the apples are very brown, even slightly blackened at the edges, about 45 minutes. Remove to a rack to cook. Serve warm or at room temperature.

APPLE-PRUNE CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Place onion, raisins, prunes, ginger, vinegar, sugar, cumin, salt, and 2 cups water in a low-sided, 6-quart saucepan. Set over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil.
• Reduce to heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 40 minutes.
• Add the apples and 1 1/2 cups water. Cook, stirring frequently, until apples are soft and translucent and liquid has been absorbed, about 50 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
• Transfer to a large bowl set over an ice bath to chill, and store in airtight container, refrigerated, up to 4 weeks.